This invention relates to dock levelers and in particular, to levelers which store vertically. Such devices are used at loading docks to bridge the distance between a truck to be loaded, or unloaded, and the interior of a warehouse, storage facility, or the like. In general these devices accommodate for both the distance between the end of the truck and the dock facility, and the vertical truck "float" as it is loaded and unloaded. That is, the truck will move vertically depending on its state of loading.
For this purpose, dock levelers utilize a lip which extends onto the truck deck and is movable in response to truck float. Generally, such levelers fall into two categories, those which store horizontally with the lip in a downward or pendent position and those which store vertically with the lip generally upward. In both cases, when not in use a roll-down door or the like is used to seal the opening. When the truck backs into the dock for purposes of loading or unloading, the door is opened and the space is generally sealed by means of fixed or adjustable dock seals comprising foam, fabric, inflatable cells or the like which are mounted on the sides of the dock and at the header or top. Such seals are well known and are in common use. In the case of horizontally stored dock levelers, since they are generally mounted into a pit or recess there is no open area underneath the leveler which requires a weather seal.
In contrast, in the case of vertically storing levelers there is a propensity for heat loss or entry into a building since the leveler is generally on a shelf rather than in a pit. In the past, to seal this area it has been conventional to use a pad mounted to the bottom of the face of the building under the dock leveler. However, because the dock leveler lip must be lowered to service a truck which is fully loaded, such a bottom pad is usually complex and has a pocket which in turn becomes a trap for debris. Additionally, such a structure is vulnerable to impact damage by trucks.